Lubricating system for cream separators



I T11; lleoruzrci.; y 7W Filed May 28, 1924 1111: ..IIANIWIM L B SPERRY LUBRICATING SYSTEMl FOR CREAM SEPARATORS oct. 14, 1930.

Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE LEONARD BOYD SPERRY, OF

ILLINOIS Application filed May 28,

The present invention appertains broadly to cream separators and especially to a lubricating system for the operative parts thereof, whereby such parts are constantly drenched Y with a measured quantity of clean oil during their operation.

As is well known the operative parts of a cream separator are carefully machined and `accurately dimensioned and are operated at a high rate of speed. Under these circumstances effective lubrication of all wearing parts assumes an important aspect. Because of the preciseness of the parts and their association, it is also important that only clean oil be utilizedfor lubricating purposes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a splash type of lubricator for cream separators and the like, the' splash producing member picking up a measured quantity of Y only the clean, lighter oil from the oil containing casing, this being accomplished by the improved means hereinafter to be described.

A further general object is to provide a ,35 simple and efficient lubricating arrangement for cream separators, which is cheap to manufacture, and which is' readily adapted for use with existing standard types of separators now on the market, at a minimum of expense. -4

Other objects will appear to those skilled in this artas the description progresses. The preferred embodiment of the invention has been well illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an approximately central, vertical sectional view of a cream separator taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking in a direction at right angles to Fig. 1, with the base of the machine removed; and

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the supplemental reservoir or oil trough.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in association with a standard type of cream separator having a supporting frame 10 to which is bolted or otherwise suitably secured a gear housing 11, 5,0 and integral with this housing is the usual WESTERN SPRINGS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTER- NATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO,l ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF LUBRICATING- SYSTEM FOR CREAM SEPARATORS 1924. Serial No. 716,301.

extension 12 for encasing, and within which is driven, the separating bowl (not shown). Journaled in suitable bearings formed in the upper part of the casing or housing 11 is a horizontal shaft 13 which carries at one end, enclosed by a suitable casing` a gear 14 meshing with a pinion 15 keyed to a second horizontally disposed shaft 16, also journaled in suitable bearings in the housing 11.` 4The shaft 16 has fixed thereto intermediately of its ends, to operate substantially centrall within the gear housing 11, a gear 17 whic meshes with a worm gear formed on a vertical spindle 18 supported in suitable bearings 19 and 20 carried, respectively, in the casing 11 andV extension 12. The conventional hand operated crank 21 is disposed at the outer end of the shaft 13 for imparting rotationv to the gear 14, pinion 15, gear 17 and spindle 18 to rotate rapidly the usual separating disks forming the bowl of the separator (not shown). The mechanism above described enables the spindle 18 to be driven at a very high rate of speed, and it is, therefore. essential that each of these working parts be continuously lubricated so that friction will be reduced to a minimum. To this end, the lower part of the housing 11 receives, and is adapted to hold, a suitable supply of lubricating oil, as shown in Fig. 2, which is maintained at a constant level by means of the overflow pipe 22 having a cap 23 slightly spaced therefrom and arranged thereover, so that excess oil may flow upwardly between the pipe 22 and cap 23 and out of the chamber by means of the drain pipe extension 24;. Another drain pipe 25 depends from the bottom of the casing for a purpose to be hereinafter described and supports a pail 26 in the manner shown y in Fig. 1. Y

Gf course, it is of prime importance that all of the operative parts be continuously drenched incleanoil while operating, but it is of still greater importance, it has been found, that they be drenched with a constantly fixed amount of oil. Thisfinvention takes cognizance of the fact that the clean oil is the lighter and less dense portion of the liquid and will naturally form at the top of the oil bath, or at the point where the level of the bath is being maintained; and that the dirty and heavier, or denser, oil or impurities,

such as milk or water, will precipitateto the bottom of the oil chamber below the vmaintained level of the bath. The lubricating system of the present invention is of ythe splash type and the problem is to splash only thecle'an, light and less dense eil in measured quantities from substantially' thetop of the bath onto the operative parts contained within the housing. The problem is solved by the provision of an elongated trough 27 disposed in a horizontal plane and restingat one end on a shoulder formed in the wall 'of thecasing 11" and at its opposite end being bolted thereto,V as shown in Fig. 1. This, trough, 'it will be. observed, has an arcuately shaped bottom and straight parallel sides,` between whichoperatesthe gear 17, the sides of the trough` furthermore extending slightly above the maintained level' of the oil bath. The bQttom ofthetrough', it should be observed,

Y is'dlisposed in a plane a substantial distance below the Vmaintained level ofthe oil in the.

o il chamber. vArranged centrally in the bottomof the trough isa small orifice 28, theV cleanoil fromthe top ofthe bath flowing upwardly.'therethrough into the trough yand seekinga level coincident with the level. of the ,bath in the chamber thus, as theV gear v17 is'rotaterd, i'trspla'shes upwardly onto the op# erative parts of v the.. mechanism only the measured amountl of clean oil which has seeped upwardly into. the. trough, and, furthermore, the gear 17 does not have tov contend with the resistance voffered by the oil` of the bath in the mainchamber, therebymate rially reducing the draft ofthe machine. Thel added to the chamber 11 by removing the spindle 18 and the separator bowl, not shown,

yand placing a funnel on theV collar member v"30, the oilthen flowing" downwardly past the .bearing 20and into the casing 11. This adi jdition of fresh', clean' oil will also automatically displace, by means of the overflow device, any dirt oil, water, or milk, not solidified, without resorting to use of the peti A brief description of the operation of this vimproved lubricating system follows:

Whenthe machine Vis in operation, upon Arotation of the vcrank 21, the gear 17 rotates very rapidly and picks up the measured amount of clean oil out of the troughV 27,

l splashing it upwardly onto the shaft'l, the

oil flowing along this shaft, as viewed in Fig.

2, to the right and to the left and seeping back into the chamber by means of thev -oil passages 31 and 32. Oil is also thrown on the spindle 18 and the'bearings'20 and 19. A trans parent sight panel 33 may be fitted to thefcasing adjacent theI gear wheel 17, so that the operator may readily ascertain whether or Y not any oil is being thrown upon the operative yparts mentioned. A. constant liquid level is machine is at 'rest only'clean oil' will be maintained inthe trough, for any dirt particles will precipitate to the bottom and out through the orilice into the main oil sup- Plrw. i

.ItA will thus'be seen that there is hereln provided lubricating apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and that the same'is of simple construction, yet very effective in action, and is well adapted to meet the exacting conditions of hard practical use. lVhile there has been shown thepreferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that variouschanges in form, construction and arrangement of parte mav be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimec.

What is claimed'v is: 'l

A cream'separat-or having acase formed with a sump to receive a bath of lubricant, a vertically disposed spindle in the case adapted to carry a separator bowl, Va gear in the case disposed in a vertical plane and' adapted to drive the spindle, the geardipping in the bath of'lubricant, overflow means to prevent the oil lfrom exceeding a predetermined level, and means forcausing said gearto receive a constant, measured, restricted quantity ofthe lubricant for distrilnitio'nV thereby to the spindle.

its

In' testimony whereof I aliiX my signature.

LEONARD BOYD SPERRY. y

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